


Sweeter Than Hot Cocoa

by sadgaytoothpaste



Category: To All the Boys I've Loved Before Series - Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Gen and peter are besties, Gen is a lesbian bc i say so, Gen isnt mean in this, Hot Cocoa, Lucas is dating joahn ambrose, Matchmakers chris and lucas, Meet-Cute, Oblivious Lara Jean, theyre super cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-02 02:06:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15786738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadgaytoothpaste/pseuds/sadgaytoothpaste
Summary: Lara Jean is so distracted by Peter, that she doesn't notice he's just as hung up on her.Or: when LJ sees Peter at the counter of her favorite cafe, he is unfamiliar but not at all unwelcome.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic ever! I was super afraid to write this, but the second I saw the tiny amount of fics for this fandom I realized I would have to write one myself!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I merged what was initially the first two chapters into this one bc they were both super short, just in case people who started reading before I did that are confused!

Lara Jean entered the cafe, huffing warm air onto her mitted hands. She yelled a greeting to Chris, who looked up from the espresso machine with a tired smile and a half hearted wave. 

"Another EDM concert?" Lara Jean grinned sympathetically, removing her coat and gloves.

"LJ, I want you to promise that you'll never let me do this to myself again," she winced, jerking at the noises of the busy cafe.

Lara Jean laughed, shaking her head at her best friend's terrible decision making, "Chris, we both know nothing can keep you from your love of EDM, not even m-" she stopped mid-sentence, looking over at the cash register and was surprised to see that it wasn't Lucas there, but the most beautiful man she had ever seen. 

"Who is that? Where's Lucas?" She hissed at Chris, eyes darting between the Greek God standing before her and a smirking Chris. 

"Lucas is sick, and _that _is Peter. He usually works afternoons, but he's filling in today. Why, like what you see?" Chris joked enjoying every second of her friend's sudden crush.__

____

____

"Does anyone _not? _Jesus Christ, he's gorgeous! Oh god do you think he saw me? I need to leave, I-I need to go right now. See you tomorrow!" Lara Jean rushed out the door, blushing and cursing the universe for making such a devastatingly handsome person, leaving Chris cackling in her dust.__

\----------------------------

As she walked into the cafe the next morning, Lara Jean tried to calm herself- he was only filling in for one day! He's not going to be there again, things'll go back to normal in no time! But, to her dismay (and partial happiness), she came face to face with the man who had been on her mind since yesterday. She let out a nervous, shaky breath, and smiled through her pain.

"Good morning! How can I help you tod- hey, aren't you the girl that came in here today and left without getting anything?" 

Lara Jean quickly spoke over Chris's loud and frankly unappreciated laughter, "Um no? Well yes, but it's not like I did it for no reason! I, uh, forgot my wallet." He didn't buy it for a second, his face lighting up with laughter and disbelief.

After calming himself down and smiling apologetically to the growing line behind Lara Jean, he smirked down at her, "You wouldn't have had to worry, for _you _, it would be on the house."__

__Lara Jean was quiet and confused, and didn't even want to start analyzing what he could mean by that._ _

__Shaking herself out of her shocked state, she ordered. "Could I please have some hot cocoa? And, uh, don't worry, I remembered my wallet this time, so I'll pay for myself." Although she chuckled while saying it, Peter's face fell for a moment, and he nodded, asked for a name for the drink, and moved on to the next customer._ _

__Lara Jean beelined straight to where Chris was wiping down a table, feeling awkward and unbalanced. "Is Lucas still sick?" She asked, voice less worried and more whiny._ _

__"No, actually. I informed him of yesterday's events and he decided that working afternoons would fit his schedule more." Chris grinned ear to ear, delighted by this new development, and clearly also by Lara Jean's pain and misery._ _

__Lara Jean was questioning each and every one of her friendships until she was started out of it by her name being called. She looked up and saw Peter smiling, holding out her cup patiently, and _were those specks of gold in his eyes? _She fell in love with him more every second she saw him.___ _

____Her body had, at some point, sprung into action, walking towards him seemingly without any directions, which she thought was quite impressive._ _ _ _

____She took the cocoa from his hands, fingers grazing his, and fireworks going off in her stomach. "Thank you," she said awkwardly, still terrified of his beauty._ _ _ _

____His smile sent her brain into a frenzy, and his easy _no problem _and wink made her think she was going crazy. Nobody should have that much power over another person, and the fact that he had it over her made her almost angry.___ _ _ _

______Lara Jean walked over to Chris, glaring over her cup as her friend laughed at her plight. _"This is all your fault," _she spit through gritted teeth.___ _ ____

________Shit. Lara Jean had a crush._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a super short chapter! I'm going to try to make the next one longer, I just wanted to ease into the story. Also I'm going to try to update as quickly and frequently as possible, so please bear with me!


	2. Chapter 2

For the rest of the week, Lara Jean made excuses. 

Who _really_ needs hot chocolate anyway? She could just make it at home! Tea was _so_ much healthier! She _definitely_ wasn't avoiding anyone at the cafe, not at all. 

But the next week, it was too much. She had been like a depressed ice cube without her hot cocoa, miserable and cold all week long. She decided enough was enough - she wasn't going to let a _cute boy_ stop her from her favorite winter treat.

So on Saturday, she marched determinedly up to the cash register where an amused Peter was looking at her worth something she couldn't quite place. Was that... _fondness?_ No, she had to stop thinking like that or she would never get over this stupid crush.

"You're back! What took you so long?" Peter smirked, as if he knew _exactly_ what took her so long.

Nodding her head awkwardly, Lara Jean replied with a pained expression, "Oh you know... I was just busy with... Work." She winced at her excuse, looking up to see Peter's eyes shiny and bright. 

"Well, it's great to see you again. You want hot cocoa this time too?" Lara Jean nodded along, thankful he was doing most of the talking. 

"I'll give you extra whipped cream if you drink it here instead of leaving." Peter's words made LJ snap her head up, looking at him with wide eyes. 

"You would do that?" She asked, oddly touched. She could feel a blush creeping onto her face and quickly looked down at the counter again.

"Of course, Lara Jean. Chris told me all about you, plus I want to get to know the cafe's favorite customer better. I need all the tips I can get," he joked, winking again. Seriously, what was up with him and winking all the time? It was terrible for her heart- it kept doing loopty loops and she felt like she was going to hurl.

"Okay. Deal." Lara Jean was trying her best to keep her face looking serene and unaffected, but on the inside she was shining brighter than ever. 

_ _ _ _ _

 

Lara Jean did not think this through. She had been sitting there for hours, talking leisurely as he walked around behind the counter, coming to stand in front of her whenever he had the chance. 

It's not as if the conversation was bad, or that he wasn't nice or smart or funny. The problem was that it was _great,_ and he _was_ every one of those things. He also kept giving her these Looks™, that felt like they meant more than the glances they really were. 

The reason this was a bad idea was because of how much it felt like a _good idea._ She felt like she could talk to him for another three hours, and even more than that if he wanted to. 

She only realized how long she had been there when a blaring phone call from Kitty interrupted their discussion on water and beverages with pee in them. __

 _"Where are you? We were supposed to start baking like, three hours ago!"_ Kitty's voice broke the bubble they had created around them, and she hastily apologized to her as she started gathering her things.

Hanging up, she turned to Peter, "Well, guess this is goodbye. Thanks for the extra whipped cream!" With that, she turned around to start walking towards the door.

"Wait!" Peter yelled too loudly for the small cafe, making LJ screech to a halt. He looked down, embarrassed, and shyly said, "It was really nice talking with you. Hope we can do it again sometime." His broad shoulders were hunched with nerves, and holy shit, was he _blushing?_ If Lara Jean didn't already have a huge crush on him, that would have done it. She wanted nothing more than to go up to him and hug him, and tell him just how much she hoped they would. Instead she just smiled and nodded, backing out the door.

On her way out she caught Chris's smirk and wished hell would rain down upon her. After all, this _was_ all her fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THINGS ARE SPICIN UP


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LJ and Kitty make cookies, Kitty meets Peter

LJ is elbow deep in cookie dough for the third batch when Kitty asks her what she's been doing at the cafe so much recently. That's probably a good thing, because otherwise she wouldn't have an excuse for not being able to meet her little sister's eyes. 

They were making chocolate chip cookies for another one of Kitty's bake sales, which had been a compromise between Lara Jean and Margot. They had been arguing on Skype about whether to make cupcakes or brownies for 30 minutes, and would have gone on longer if Kitty hadn't gotten tired of it and declared they would make cookies instead. 

"I, uh, really like their hot chocolate?" LJ couldn't even convince _herself_ that was the reason, let alone Kitty.

"Mhmm... _sure."_ Lara Jean could see the mischief running through her little sister's face, her grin turning sly and teasing. "Well then, I would really appreciate one right about now." 

"But-but the cookies! We have to finish the cookies!" Kitty leveled her with a stare so withering and full of judgement she shut up immediately and sighed resignedly. 

"We've been baking for hours. We've made _48 cookies already._   I think we'll be fine." LJ prays to every god that she knows the name of for Peter to not be there. She doesn't know what she would do if her sister met him. She would be _so embarassed_ if Kitty found out about her crush. Why did she have to use the hot cocoa as an excuse? It's not even the best drink there!

She was debating whether or not to burn herself to keep Kitty from going to the cafe and then it hit her- it was 4 pm. Peter was there in the _mornings,_ she didn't need to worry. She nodded happily to herself and quickly started getting ready to leave. If Kitty noticed her sudden change of heart, she didn't say anything, choosing instead to pull on her own coat and shoes. She went to the kitchen and came out with a Ziploc of some fresh cookies, already steamimg up the inside of the plastic bag. 

Lara Jean quirks a brow at her younger sister, signalling to the baked goods with a questioning glance.

"What? Why would I waste my money on mediocre slices of dry cake when I have these delicious disks of love, happiness, and all things good?" Kitty emphasizes her statement by holding up the bag and shaking it purposefully.

Lara Jean rolls her eyes fondly, securing her sleek black hair in her scrunchy before determinedly marching through the biting cold air to the car. Kitty eyes the minivan wearily, before wrenching open the door. After settling in, the 11 year old squeezed her eyes shut, as if preparing for a collision already. 

"Kitty! I am _not_ that bad of a driver!" LJ defends herself, but she completely understands her sister's apprehension. She hated being behind the wheel even more than people hated being in the passenger's seat. 

Lara Jean took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the steering wheel, and started driving.

\---------------------------

 _She should just walk everywhere,_   LJ thought grumpily. She and Kitty had sat in the cafe parking lot for a few minutes, just thanking the gods above for letting them survive that terrible car ride. Lara Jean didn't even want to _think_ about the ride back, she was just happy to be alive. 

After a few minutes, they stumbled into the (gloriously heated!) cafe, Kitty clutching her bag of cookies for extra warmth, and LJ rubbing her chapped hands together. They plopped their things onto one of the plush red couches that lined the windows, walking up to the counter to order their drinks. 

Chris nodded at them, already starting to make their hot cocoas, and LJ, hearing a familiar voice, turned to see Peter in casual clothes, pleading with the cook about something she couldn't quite make out. Lara Jean groaned internally at seeing him there. _This was definitely not his shift. Otherwise why would he be out of his uniform? Why did the world hate her so much?_   

Beside him on a tall stool at the counter sat a young boy around Kitty's age, perhaps a classmate of hers, flipping through a baking magazine with a determined and frustrated look on his face. 

Lara Jean then looked to her sister, silently asking for confirmation of her theory, and Kitty nodded back, long pigtails bobbing as the two sisters communicated with their eyes alone. 

Peter only seemed to notice their being in the cafe when Chris announced their drinks were ready, high fiving Kitty as she did so. He quickly snapped his head up, zeroing in on Lara Jean, then her sister, until his eyes finally landed on the Ziploc bag full of chocolate chip cookies Kitty gripped in her hand. After a few seconds, his eyes widened, and he started over to them, pulling the boy (who was probably his brother) behind him. 

"Hi, LJ! What are you doing here? It's not my shift," Peter smiled, and Lara Jean didn't even _try_ to correct his assumption that she usually only came for him, not just because it was entirely true, but also due to the fact that this was her worst nightmare, and Kitty was looking up at Peter with eyes full of glee and a look of understanding crossing her face. 

"Hey Owen. This is my sister Lara Jean. And who might _this_ be?" Kitty looked up at her sister teasingly, brows raised up high. 

"Uh, Kitty, this is Peter. Peter, Kitty." Lara Jean wanted to get this over with quickly, but Peter's growing smile was throwing her for a loop, and making her stumble over her words. 

"Hello, Kitty. So you know Owen? Are you two in the same grade?" At Kitty's nod, he continued, "are those cookies for the bake sale?"

LJ nodded cautiously, as Kitty explained why she had them with her. "These are delicious, and I would much rather have these with my hot chocolate than some gross pastry this place tries to sell me."

At that, LJ cuts in, elbowing Kitty hard and hissing through gritted teeth and a plastered on smile, _"Kitty, Peter works here, let's not insult his place of employment, especially not directly inside of it."_

Peter laughs, loud and warm enough to melt the snow falling down outside. "Its alright, I know baked goods aren't this place's strong point. Besides, I'm sure your cookies are much better anyway," he said with a wink and a somehow even brighter smile. 

Lara Jean can't help it, she lights up at that, and offers them both a few cookies. She holds back a huge grin as they take a bite, and make identical faces of pure ecstasy.

Peter peers at her with that Look™ again, and LJ's stomach twists in a way that feels like it'll never untie itself. Instead of dwelling on these... _feelings,_ Lara Jean just continues the conversation. 

"Are you guys making anything for the bake sale?" Lara Jean snuck a glance back up at Peter, but quickly moved her eyes back down when she saw him already looking at her.

"Yeah actually, that's why I'm here outside of my shift. I was trying to get the cook's recipe for brownies." Peter looked almost sheepish, and Owen just looked bored.

Before she even knew what she was saying, LJ was offering to help. "If you want, I could help you make them." She had already started to regret it when she saw Peter's face, smile blinding with gratitude and a little bit of something else, and she just stopped thinking altogether. 

They talked a bit longer, exchanging information and ideas, and by the time Lara Jean and Kitty walked out of the cafe, their hot cocoa was completely cold. 

LJ was still hyperventilating and freaking out from everything that had just happened, so she missed when Kitty turned to look back at Owen, who was looking right back, to share one last exasperated eye roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been brought to my attention that Chris and lucas deserve more love. Not to worry, they'll both be making many more and extremely important appearances. Also, y'all will soon be introduced to a v nice v gay Gen! I wanted at least one fix where she wasn't a complete bitch so I just did it myself. Please comment if you have any thoughts or suggestions!


	4. Chapter 4

Lara Jean takes a deep breath before opening the door to the cafe, walking in. She willed her heart to stop beating out of her chest as she watched Peter work, entranced. 

She strides over to him, getting his attention and watching his face light up.

"Hey, Covey! You ready to bake?" Peter looked a tad bit too excited for someone wasting his Saturday on his little brother's bake sale.

Lara Jean's stomach did a flip at the nickname, and she once again took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down.

She had come to pick him up to help him make the baked goods for Owen, who was busy with a book report.

"I hope you're prepared to drive us back to my house, because driving myself here was traumatic enough- I dont need you to go through that too." LJ said this with a chuckle, but it was obvious that she was entirely serious.

"Sure thing, Covey," cue the butterflies, "lemme just clock out." Jesus, his smile was brighter than the sun- it was a wonder Lara Jean's eyes were still working after being exposed to it so many times. 

As Peter prepares to leave, LJ grabs a stray straw wrapper and starts ripping it up, her mind wandering. When she looks up again, she sees him talking to Chris, nodding as she pats his back reassuringly.

He looks over and catches her staring, smirking as her face reddens. 

When they're finally in the car, thankfully with Peter behind the wheel, LJ asks what he had been talking to Chris about. It's  Peter's turn to blush this time, staring straight ahead and gripping the wheel tighter.

"Nothing. Just, you know, shifts and stuff." Lara Jean doesn't believe him for a second, but figures it's not worth the trouble of wrangling the truth out of him.

\-------------------------

They're in the kitchen, looking over different recipes and trying to decide what to make. Peter suggests these weird fruitcake cookies, to which LJ scrunches her nose and shakes her head.

He puts on a face full of joking  offence, defending his choice. "Hey! They're festive! Plus, I feel like they could be really good if we just _believed."_

LJ rolls her eyes, moving on with a fond, _"Sure, Peter."_   

They settle on walnut brownies, which Lara Jean has made before and knows are delicious. 

She's mixing the dry ingredients together when she hears a soft chuckle next to her. She turns to see peter looking at her with soft eyes, surrounded by a cloud of flour and sugar in the air. 

"What's wrong?" She immediately starts worrying, but is stopped by Peters finger smoothing the crease forming between her brows. 

"Nothing, its just that..." Peter chuckles sweetly, coming to stand directly in front of her, "you're kind of covered in flour. It's just really cute." She moves to wipe her face with her arm, but Peter beats her to it. He gently brushes it off with feather light touches, and LJ doesn't think she's ever wanted to kiss someone more in her life.

Just as she musters up the courage to start learning forward, and is pleasently surprised with Peter doing the same thing, Kitty slams open the kitchen door and loudly asks if Peter is staying for movie night.

Only after saying this does she look at them, eyes flitting between her sister and her guest. "Sorry, did I interupt something?" 

Kitty sounds genuinely guilty, but Peter is quick to assure her she didn't. "No, of course not! We were just making brownies for the bake sale. Also, of course I'm staying for movie night. Do I look like a crazy person to you?" Watching him talk so freely and easily with Kitty made something in LJ's chest tighten, and her pulse quickened with fondness for the boy in front of her. 

\---------------------

After some careful deliberation, Lara Jean and Kitty decide to show him 16 Candles. And once he learns that it's LJ's favorite movie, he decides to show her his in return.

Lara Jean can't even get through the opening scene without looking over to watch Peter, gauging his reaction. Every few minutes she repeats this, spending more time watching his face than the screen. 

When he asks about the racism in the movie, with a concerned and confused look on his face, LJ falls just a bit harder. 

They don't even get through half of Fight Club when they're just blatantly staring at each other, whispering quiet jokes and secrets only the other can hear. 

At some point, Kitty leaves, and the movie ends, but neither of them notice, choosing instead to stay in their own little bubble until Peter has to go home.

\----------------------

When Chris comes over the next day, Lara Jean tells her friend everything that's happened so far. 

She tells her about the extra whipped cream, and the hours long conversation that came with it.

About offering to help him bake, and then making the brownies together, both covered in a layer of flour and sugar.

About their almost kiss, so fleeting that LJ is half convinced she was the only one leaning in (to which Chris rolls her eyes and calls BS).

About the shared secrets and tired smiles and quiet giggles.

LJ can't help feeling light headed, taken aback by how much she cares for him. And Chris can't help but make snarky comment about Lara Jean being oblivious, which just make her even more huffy.

"C'mon, LJ. It's obvious you're both into each other. Get your man!" Chris's eyes are wide and persuasive, but being her friend for years has allowed LJ to fight through them.

Lara Jean almost snaps her neck from how furiously she shakes her head at the idea, but she can't help wondering what would happen if she did.

The list of people Kitty shares an eye roll with over LJ's love life is getting startlingly long.


End file.
